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Thursday, February 2, 2017

February
is National Children’s Dental Month – and with 1 in 4 children having
had tooth decay by age 5, it’s important that parents don’t overlook
their children’s oral health. I recently had a chance to interview endodontist Dr. Adam Harwood to get helpful information for parents.

How can parents encourage proper oral care?

The
best thing a parent can do to encourage their child to brush is to
start them off early, as an infant. They should make it part of their
routine, even before teeth appear in the child's mouth. As they get
older the parent should make it a game with a timer next to the
toothbrush. At first, have them brush with you. See who can brush the
longest. Kids love to use disclosing tablets. Have them chew one and
show you how well they are doing. The best advice is to make it fun and
develop a habit at an early age.

What are some of the most overlooked elements of child dental health in families?

Children
may not be as effective at using a toothbrush when they are first
learning to brush. An electric toothbrush will not only help them brush
better but most are timed so the child will brush their teeth for the
proper amount of time, leading to better oral health.

Also
it is presumed that children can't develop gum disease. This is not
true. Many children develop gingivitis or even juvenile periodontitis
due to poor or non-existent oral care. It is also important to obtain
early intervention for possible oral malformations so children should be
seeing a dentist at the first sign of teeth in the mouth. A truly
devastating practice is the use of a bottle left in a child's mouth
while they sleep. This can lead to milk bottle caries (The destruction
of primary (baby teeth) down to the gum line), which will lead to either
root canal therapy or extraction of the affected teeth.

Dr. Adam Harwood is a leading endodontist located in Greenwich Village, New York, NY